They did not. During the Civil Rights Movement in the US and years leading up to it, African Americans were dehumanised to the point where some whites would not consider applying equal rights to blacks. They were not human. read more
So did not deserve human rights. If human rights could only be applied to humans, then the African American was not going to be given them. We are shown this throughout history when looking at discriminated groups. read more
A set of new laws, known as Jim Crow Laws, was passed in the Southern states, and imposed racial discrimination and segregation against black people. The term "Jim Crow" originally referred to a black character in 1800s minstrel shows in which white performers wore "Blackface" and pretended to be black. read more
Generally, the remaining Jim Crow laws were overruled by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but years of action and court challenges have been needed to unravel the many means of institutional discrimination. read more
Back in the times following the civil war, blackface plays were often done as a type of comedy and to mock the blacks who had just been freed. A prominent character in these was Jim Crow, who was played by a white person with blackface on. He was stupid and clumsy, and due to his negative protrayal the laws were named after him. read more